Member News

The return of the biannual event proved a huge success. More than 450 people representing franchisees, their families, staff and business partners gathered at the Celtic Manor Resort on the 6^th May for the TaxAssist Accountants 2023 Conference. The event encompassed an exhibition, workshops, director presentations and a fun-filled, spectacular ‘The Greatest Showman’ themed black-tie gala evening, which included singing, dancing, acrobatic displays and circus entertainment, as well as fun fair rides. The exhibition hosted 40 stands throughout the day, while in the afternoon there was a series of workshops and presentations hosted by the TaxAssist Group senior managers and sponsors including Dext, Intuit QuickBooks, FA Simms/AMLCC, Acora One, Begbies Traynor, TaxCalc, Xero and QX Accounting Services. The event concluded with thought leadership presentations and a keynote address by the four TaxAssist Group executive directors, Daren Moore, Sarah Robertson, James Mattam and Mike Melling. Sarah Robertson, Group Director and UK Managing Director, said: “It has been great to hold our conference once again, and it proved to be one of our most successful yet. After such a long break, it was a fantastic way to come together and celebrate the network’s successes together. We have all missed the opportunity to see each other, so it has been wonderful to catch up with so many franchisees and supporters of our network at such an exceptional venue. “The conference is our flagship event, and is always hugely valuable, filled with inspiring talks, and the opportunity to network and collaborate as well as being lots of fun.” Franchisees and their staff enjoyed a variety of talks and workshops designed to cover a wide range of forward-thinking strategies and ideas to improve practices. Topics covered included:

• Driving growth through customer experience
• Benefits of adopting best practices
• How cross selling adds value to client relationships
• Resourcing and capacity
• Artificial Intelligence and its impact on the accountancy industry
• Staying ahead of the competition

TaxAssist franchisee Richard Preedy said: “The Conference highlighted how fortunate we are to be in such a supportive and resilient business. Without the dynamic team in Norwich providing the franchisees with constant updates on technology, compliance issues, legal updates, and marketing initiatives, we would struggle to compete. Their constant dedication to the TaxAssist business means my business can thrive and I can do what I do best and that’s look after my clients.” Sarah added: “We have received some fantastic feedback from those who attended and the event served to reinforce the power of the network and the ‘one big family’ feel of the franchise. I am already looking forward to the next event in two years’ time!” A TaxAssist Accountants franchise can provide the systems and support you need to be successful. If you’re interested in finding out more about building a practice, buying an accountancy practice or converting an existing practice to TaxAssist Accountants, call 0800 018 8297 or submit an enquiry here to register your interest.    

Above: Greater Anglia train on Chappel viaduct. Credit: Greater Anglia Day trippers to East Anglia will be encouraged to leave the car at home and use the train for their journeys at an event in London next week. The region’s Essex & South Suffolk, East Suffolk Lines, Bittern Line, Wherry Lines and New River Line Community Rail Partnerships are joining forces on 23 May for a vibrant promotional display at London Liverpool Street Station, showcasing Greater Anglia’s scenic rail lines for green leisure trips. It’s one of many activities taking place during Community Rail Week, 22 to 28 May, including youth engagement initiatives, projects celebrating local history, culture, and the arts, and campaigns promoting scenic and sustainable leisure travel, all aiming to connect and empower communities, break down travel barriers, and encourage a greener, healthier transport future. Alan Neville, Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, said, “It’s so easy to get to the stunning cities, towns and coastlines in East Anglia by train and helps the planet too by reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 70% compared to the car. “We have a range of great value fares available to make a day out in East Anglia by rail the best choice for a great day out and are grateful to our community rail partnerships for helping to raise awareness with this event.” Community Rail Week, organised by Community Rail Network and sponsored by the Rail Delivery Group, shines a light on the year-round work of Britain’s 76 community rail partnerships, 140 station groups and 10,000 volunteers who are involved in community rail activities across the country. Community rail aims to improve travel confidence, increase access to opportunity, tackle social isolation, give communities a voice, and put railways and stations at the heart of community life, while supporting a shift to sustainable, more social forms of travel, including rail. Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “Community rail partnerships and thousands of ‘station friends’ volunteers the length and breadth of Britain, including many across the East of England, are mobilising en masse, engaging local people and partners to raise awareness about rail travel, and get people enthused about its many benefits.” She added: “Community Rail Week is all about connecting communities and bringing people together, while supporting and enabling more people to travel sustainably by train and access the opportunities they want. Community rail has an inspiring track record of doing just that: promoting travel confidence and broadening mobility horizons, sometimes with life-changing effects, while giving communities a voice on transport, and putting railways and stations at the heart of community life.”

If you are an early stage food or drink business in Norfolk, the Broadland Food Innovation Centre project is offering free business support. When you’re growing your small business, the decision making never stops and the the challenge is knowing how to make the right decision at the right time. Do you have all the skills, knowledge and market information you need? Over the last year, the Centre’s experienced advisors have supported dozens of businesses in the region. From Ambry Foods Turkey bacon. Founded by ex River Cafe Chef Elliott Bloomfield, and his former clients, who had tasted turkey bacon in the States and realised it was delicious as well as lower in calories and fat than traditional pork bacon. But unable to find it in the UK, they began a lockdown project to develop their own recipe, using quality free-range turkey cured with sea salt and muscovado sugar and smoked in beechwood. Elliott hooked up with the Innovation Support team who provided 12-hours of free mentoring and business advice that helped him turn his idea into a business plan, to identify potential stockists in the Norfolk area and within 10 months they had launched Ambry Turkey Bacon in farm shops and delis across the region. He says: “The Innovation Support team provide an amazing free service, and I would encourage other food and drink businesses to take up the opportunity for support. If you are determined enough to launch or grow a food and drink business, you will get there, but the amazing support we’ve received has enabled us to do that more quickly than we would have on our own. It has enabled us to tap into an incredible network of people, and not only have they helped us to build a business plan, to secure funding to buy essential equipment and to approach Norfolk farm shops and delis.  It’s really tough to break through with a new business, but the support we’ve received is helping us get there. If you are determined enough to launch or grow a food and drink business, you will get there, but the amazing support we’ve received has enabled us to do that more quickly than we would have on our own” Sisters Thorayya and Shifa Mears launched Oichi Kombucha during the Pandemic. They were driven to start a business that was ‘sustainable and good for people’ and  passionate about food, flavours and cooking and had grown up drinking kombucha made by their mother and knew that it was delicious as well as good for your gut.  They began making kombucha, a fermented tea with ingredients foraged from the Norfolk countryside. They recognised that there was an opportunity to reimagine kombucha and to make it a delicious drink which everyone would enjoy. Oichi Kombucha is now stocked in dozens of local independent retailers in the region. Thorayya says “Our business advisor has been so easy to talk to, approachable, non-judgemental and supportive. We’ve never run a small business before and the advice for start-up food and drink businesses through the Broadland Food Innovation Centre has been invaluable to us as we’ve grown from a home-based project to a fully-fledged business.”   Meanwhile Katrina Ajomale started Crumpetorium producing artisan crumpets for sale in Norfolk farm shops and delis. Getting the business off the ground, hasn’t been without challenges for Kat. They want to keep the crumpets as natural as possible, so the big question was – how could they offer a good shelf-life without the use preservatives and plastic packaging? Kat says: “The Innovation Support team have been very supportive and easy to work with. They have taken time to understand my business and the challenges I face and helped me find simple and logical solutions. I would never have been able to afford this kind of expert advice if I’d approached a business consultant. I really valued that they helped me identify opportunities for new product development and new sales opportunities including the wedding catering market.” The purpose of this funded service is to help you make those sound decisions that lead to good results. It’s delivered by Hethel Innovation and forms one part of the whole Broadland Food Innovation Centre project. Eligible businesses will access a minimum of 12 hours of funded support. Eligible means you could be starting from scratch or have been established for a number of years.  You build your bespoke support package with our Food Advisor, working out the priorities to overcome your challenges and access new opportunities. For example, reviewing your strategy, developing new products, accessing market insight. Further information https://www.foodinnovationbroadland.com/support Photo order: Ambry Foods, Bruha, Niche Cocktails, Oichi Kombucha, One planet Pizza, Farmyard, Prepking, and Crumpetorium

We are thrilled to announce that Uptech Ltd has been honoured with the prestigious title of “Recognized Experts in Managed IT Security Services 2023” within the 2023 UK Enterprise Awards! As a leader in the field of IT security, this recognition reaffirms our commitment to providing top-notch managed services and safeguarding businesses from cyber threats. We couldn’t be prouder of our dedicated team, whose expertise and hard work have made this achievement possible. Our passion for delivering cutting-edge solutions and protecting our clients’ sensitive data has set us apart in the industry. We are grateful for the trust and support of our amazing clients who have been with us on this incredible journey.

Concentrating at work had never been easier Silent Room is the oasis of silence in the middle of a modern office SILENT ROOM ensures indoor air quality as well as acoustic and visual comfort, enabling employees to focus during phone conversations, video conferences or creative tasks without distracting others. We offer a variety of design options for you to be able to create a personalised design and desired office mood. The interior and exterior finish can be selected separately. Both melamine and upholstery can be used for the exterior panels. Our range of materials and colours complement each other harmoniously and create a warm, homely and relaxing atmosphere. GET A QUOTE

About Escape. Make a statement with Escape pod, offering the perfect breakout, intimate meeting space or quiet spot to ‘escape’ the busy office environment. Escape pods are made up of connected segments to make a circular space. Choose from 4 segments for an open pod, up to 7 to create an acoustic enclosure. These pods are designed with a high quality composite shell with acoustic foam interior. As they are a modular design, you are also to move and reconfigure however you wish. Available with a variety of additional options, including table, USB power points, LED lighting and external and internal colour, fabric and branding.

Care Home Reception, Norfolk NorseCare provide compassionate, high-quality, award-winning care and support to nearly 1,500 people in residential care homes and housing with care schemes. Before: Previous reception layout Brief To provide a functional and attractive piece of furniture for a reception area in a busy client facing position in a very modern and well-designed residential care facility. Lydia Eva Court is a modern, purpose-built home care home in Gorleston, near the East Norfolk coast. The home provides excellent residential care for up to 89 people in six separate areas and specialises for those living with dementia. The furniture needs to provide a focal point for visitors., the client requires a meet and greet area for the building, also a comfortable workspace for an admin function. The furniture needs to be resistant to cleaning chemicals and finished in finishes complementary to the building design and decor. Solution Fitting the limited space perfectly, in proposing Tera reception furniture iQ Workspace fulfilled the brief with a solid looking range finished in high pressure laminates in a range of colours which perfectly suited the client decor and construction modules that provides a generous workspace for staff. Best of all, as a non-bespoke solution, it offers excellent value for money. iQ Workspace provided photorealistic visuals which were replicated by the finished installation. The visuals gave the client an accurate representation of the look of the space prior to ordering ensuring that all stakeholders and staff knew exactly what to expect from the design. New Layout

The UK fee income of The TaxAssist Group, rose 7% year on year from £50.7m in 2021 to £54.3m in 2022. The TaxAssist Group of companies, which includes the TaxAssist franchise network, TaxAssist Payroll, TaxAssist Tax Consulting and TaxAssist Financial Services continues to go from strength to strength, with UK fee income growth of 7% reported in the latest Accountancy Daily league table. Daren Moore, TaxAssist Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our impressive rate of growth demonstrates the continued success of our business model and our new initiatives, which have broadened the range of complimentary services our network can provide, helping to both attract and retain clients and create new fee opportunities. Financial services in particular represents an enormous opportunity, and we will continue to introduce additional TaxAssist service offerings over time. “The TaxAssist Group has a unique ownership structure, c.60% owned by franchisees, which ensures franchisee success is at the heart of our strategy. This partnership between franchisor and franchisee working together is our strength and the power that drives the TaxAssist brand. It is also a unique structure in the accountancy world. “With more than 200 franchised areas already in operation across the UK, the TaxAssist Accountants network is continuing to expand and now has over 400 shops and offices providing a visible presence for the brand on high streets and showcasing our ever-increasing range of services. “With ambitious growth targets for the next five years, we believe The TaxAssist Group is perfectly positioned to push for a top 20 position in the years to come.” To see the list of the Top 75 accounting firms and an analysis by Accountancy Daily click here. A TaxAssist Accountants franchise can provide the systems and support you need to be successful. If you’re interested in finding out more about building a practice, buying an accountancy practice or converting an existing practice to TaxAssist Accountants, call 0800 018 8297 or submit an enquiry here to register your interest. May 2023  

Four of our stations have been nominated as the best-loved in the region, as part of this year’s World Cup of Stations, which this year has been deliberately organised to coincide with Community Rail Week. The annual competition, supported by the Rail Delivery Group, is this year being jointly run with the Community Rail Network, to showcase community rail and the benefits the railways bring to residents, the environment, and the local economy. It highlights the best examples of where local partnerships or volunteers have helped improve the station for customers and the local community alike. In the East, Beccles and Lowestoft, in Suffolk, Southminster, in Essex, and Thetford, in Norfolk, all managed by Greater Anglia, have made it to the East “final” or Group Stage, with the vote held on Monday. Beccles was nominated for its thriving community-owned café and meeting space in the old station building. The community room is available for rent for or business gatherings, training days, exercise classes, and more. Lowestoft has seen the development of an amazing community hub in the original station building by three local volunteer station adopters (working as the Lowestoft Central group), with the help of the Wherry Lines CRP and the support of Greater Anglia. They have created a multi-purpose room which can be used for exhibitions or meetings and developed a tourism hub and shop. Southminster has become home to the first Men’s Shed in England to be located at a railway station. Thetford has become a wildlife friendly “mecca” due to the remarkable efforts of the local volunteer station adopter team who spend many hours on the station. As well as creating lovely station gardens which received a “Thetford in Bloom” award and a ‘Wildlife Friendly Stations’ accreditation, they have installed bat and swift boxes to help support the populations of these threatened species. Over 100 nominations were whittled down to 48 by TV presenter Tim Dunn, covering four from each of 11 regions, plus Tim’s four bonus stations selection. The winning station from the East will go through to a semi-final on 25 May against the winners of the South East, South West and London heats. Winners of next Thursday’s votes go through to a final next Friday (26 May) when this year’s winner will be crowned the UK’s best-loved station. You can vote for your favourite from the four nominated East stations – Beccles, Lowestoft, Southminster or Thetford on Monday 22 May on Twitter via #WorldCupofStations or @RailDeliveryGrp.

King’s Lynn, UK – Tulips for Tapping 2023, which saw a welcome return this year has been hailed as a huge success. Visitors from all over the UK flocked to the tulip fields near the Sandringham Estate in West Norfolk to walk among the tulips, capture photos, purchase tulip-related merchandise and enjoy refreshments from local food and drink traders. The event, which won the “Hospice UK – Innovation in Income Generation” award in 2022, built on the success of previous years and offered visitors a rare opportunity to see and experience the stunning beauty of the tulip fields. Visitors were able to purchase fresh tulips grown by Norfolk Tulips and enjoyed the popular Norfolk Hospice Gin, sold by Whatahoot. “We are thrilled with the response we received for Tulips for Tapping this year,” said Lindsey Atkin, Community & Corporate Fundraising Manager at The Norfolk Hospice. “The record number of visitors is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in organising the event, as well as the support of local businesses.” The success of the event would not have been possible without the support of Roydon Hall Farms for the use of their land, the team at Norfolk Tulips for once again allowing the opening of their wonderful crop to visitors, tulip grower Mark Eves of Belmont Nurseries, and the dedicated team of volunteers. The event wasalso made possible by the support of local businesses including T M Browne, Rural Broadband, Algeco, Rudd Marquees & Baco Compak. The event was a great success, raising £140,268 for the Norfolk Hospice. “We are so grateful for the support of everyone who attended the event, and for the generous donations made to the Hospice,” continued Lindsey. “The funds raised will help us continue to provide vital support and care for those who need it most.” Tulips for Tapping has become a beloved annual tradition for visitors from across the UK. With the success of this year’s event, organisers are already looking forward to planning for an even bigger and better event next year. Anyone who would like to support the event, through sponsorship or by volunteering, is encouraged to contact the Hospice via their website: www.norfolkhospice.org.uk

The Greater Norwich Growth Board is inviting you to take part in a consultation on green spaces in and around Norwich. Well-designed green spaces are vital to our way of life. They include features that can be natural, like woodland and rivers, or man-made like parks, allotments, hedgerows, playing fields, cycleways, footpaths and even road-side verges. As an interested party, we value your views on green spaces, their benefits, and how you would like to see them improved. Your views are essential to informing the Greater Norwich Growth Board’s new Green Infrastructure Strategy which will cover the areas of Norwich, Broadland and South Norfolk. The new Green Infrastructure Strategy aims to deliver:

• A fresh approach to managing and improving existing green spaces to make sure they benefit as many people as possible, with a focus on inclusive access.
• A strategy for creating new green spaces in the area that will benefit people and nature.

The consultation is open for six weeks from 10 May to 21 June. Everyone who responds to the consultation will be entered into a prize draw to receive an annual family membership pass for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. To participate in the survey and be entered into a prize draw to win an annual family membership pass for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, please visit https://www.greaternorwichgrowth.org.uk/projects/giconsultation/

The latest two episodes in the Tourism Business Chat podcast series celebrate the relaunch of the Tourism Business Survey 2023. In April, a seminar was hosted to reveal the results to an audience of sector leaders and, in a double release, listeners can hear insights from key business leaders, and from the panel session recorded live on the day – perfect for those unable to attend the event in person. Chris Scargill, a Partner at Larking Gowen, and the host of Tourism Business Chat, spoke to Oliver Paul, co-owner of Suffolk Food Hall, Tarnia Robertson, a Hospitality Consultant and Business Coach (and former MD of Ufford Park) and Elliott Attew, Manager of Deer’s Glade Caravan and Camping Park, about the results of the survey in the bitesize Tourism Business Chat episode. They reflected on concerns around trends and sustainability shown in the survey data, along with changes to customers’ wants and needs. They also bring home the important message that businesses must be allies to other businesses and bring the community into the heart of their decision making. In a special bonus episode, recorded live at the event, the team of experts at Larking Gowen discuss the results of the survey along with commentary from Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams, Claudia Roberts, CEO of Zoological Society of East Anglia, which operates Banham Zoo and Africa Alive, and Mary Sparrow, owner of Hippersons Boatyard, in Norfolk. This episode also contains an insightful talk from Valerie Watson-Brown, from the Visitor Economy Network Initiative, who discusses the innovative project driving careers in the sector, and includes live questions from the audience there on the day. You can listen to both episodes by visiting www.larking-gowen.co.uk/tourism-insights, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you find your podcasts, just search for Tourism Business Chat. These bitesize and bonus episodes are the perfect accompaniment to the full survey results brochure, which you can download by visiting www.tourismsurveys.co.uk/ The survey is designed to gain valuable insights into the performance and practices of businesses in the Tourism and Leisure industry in East Anglia. Businesses can use the information to inform the development of new products or services, marketing strategies and other business practices that could help them to better meet the needs of customers and stay competitive in the market.